After five decades of collecting ancient artifacts, Dr. Marie Spiro wanted to donate her collection to an institution that would continue her approach of interactive learning, and she selected UMBC three years ago. Spiro, an associate professor emerita of art and archaeology at the University of Maryland, College Park, recently visited UMBC to attend Ancient Studies Associate Professor and Chair Marilyn Goldberg’s retirement party. The Spiro Artifact Collection features Greek, Roman and Byzantine artifacts and contains mosaics, pottery, figurines and other pieces that date back as far as 15,000 years. The collection has provided a hands-on learning opportunity for ancient studies students … Continue reading Marie Spiro, Marilyn Goldberg Honored by UMBC’s Ancient Studies Department

The Ancient Studies Department is delighted to announce the arrival of Dr. David Rosenbloom as an Associate Professor of Ancient Studies. Rosenbloom is a specialist in Athenian tragedy and comedy. His research in Greek tragedy resulted in a new edition of the Persians and a co-edited volume, _Greek Drama IV: Texts, Contexts, Performance_, as well as many articles for _Blackwell’s Encyclopedia of Greek Tragedy_. His next books will be the _Blackwell Companion to Euripides_ and __A City of Scoundrels: Culture and Hegemony in Classical Athens, among others. Most recently, Rosenbloom has been a senior lecturer in the Classics Department at … Continue reading David Rosenbloom Joins Ancient Studies Department

For a second year in a row, ancient studies instructor Michael Lane has received a grant from the Institute for Aegean Prehistory. He will continue his research on Mycenaean land use through an intensive geo-physical survey in Boeotia, Greece. His project, known as “Archaeological Reconnaissance of Uninvestigated Remains of Agriculture,” consists of extensive geophysical survey of the Mycenaean polder (dry land claimed from marshes) immediately around the stronghold, accompanied by collection of small finds from the ground surface in selected areas. In total, excavations are expected to last 5-10 years and inform presentations and articles in major archaeology conferences and … Continue reading Michael Lane, Ancient Studies, Receives Grant